FIRST... TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YOUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS...GONE. A MILWAUKEE GROCERY STORE OWNER CHARGED WITH STEALING MONEY THAT SHOULD BE PAYING FOR INFANT FORMULA. 12 NEWS REPORTER NICK BOHR IS LIVE OUTSIDE THE STORE AT 12TH AND LINCOLN... WITH OUR 12 NEWS INVESTIGATION. STATE AGENTS SET UP A STING OPERATION... TARGETING THE OWNER OF THE KARINA MART THERE ... SUSPECTING HE WAS PAYING WOMEN CASH FOR THEIR VOUCHERS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE EXCHANGED FOR BABY FORMULA. THE STORE PROMINENTLY DISPLAYS ITS PARTICIPATION IN THE WIC PROGRAM... STATE TAXPAYER MONEY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HELP PROVIDE NUTRITION FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN... WIC. INSTEAD, PROSECUTORS SAY 54-YEAR-OLD SAFI SALAMEH WAS GAMING THE SYSTEM... ACCORDING TO PROSECUTORS, THIS IS HOW THE OPERATION WOULD WORK: A WOMAN WOULD COME IN WITH A COUPLE OF WIC VOUCHERS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE EXCHANGED FOR SEVERAL CANS OF INFANT FORMULA. INSTEAD THEY SAY HE WAS GIVING THE WOMEN 50 DOLLARS IN CASH, AND SUBMITTING THE VOUCHERS TO THE STATE IN EXCHANGE FOR ABOUT 170 DOLLARS IN CASH... CLEARING SOME 120- DOLLARS IN THE PROCESS. AND, PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY... THE BABIES WEREN'T GETTING THE FORMULA. SALAMEH IS CHARGED WITH FIVE FELONIES... ACCUSED OF STEALING BY FRAUD MORE THAN 27- THOUSAND DOLLARS IN ONE YEAR... BASED ON A STATE AUDIT. WE CONFRONTED HIM IN HIS STORE THIS AFTERNOON... Q: HI, YOU'RE SAFI RIGHT? A: YES. Q: I'M HERE ABOUT THE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT THAT YOU WERE MAKING MONEY ON THE WIC PROGRAM. A: I'M SORRY. Q: CAN WE TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT? HE REFUSED TO COME OUT FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER AND TALK WITH US... BUT HE'LL HAVE TO EXPLAIN HIMSELF THIS SUMMER... AT HIS TRIAL. THE INVESTIGATION OF THIS STORE OWNER TOOK PLACE OVER A YEAR. ACCORDING TO THE COMPLAINT, BEFORE SALAMEH'S ARREST, STATE AGENTS CONDUCTED FOUR UNDERCOVER OPERATIONS HERE... EACH ONE THEY SAY PROVIDED MORE EVIDENCE OF THE SCHEME.